Phantom Blade Zero PC Fixes & Best Settings: Drivers, Steam Controller

Quick answer

S-GAME recommends NVIDIA driver 617.42 and says to roll back with a clean install if you're on a newer one, until NVIDIA's next driver arrives. Install the day-one update first. If the map won't open on a Steam Controller, rebind the map action in Steam's controller settings. DSOGaming found no major stutter in its testing.

On this page

DSOGaming's testing and many player reports are positive, so you may not need any of this. Use these fixes if you hit a specific problem. Start with the driver and the update, since those come straight from the developer.

How we sourced this

We haven't tested these on our own hardware. Each fix says where it comes from, and player fixes may not work on every setup. Patches can also change things quickly.

Do these two things first

1. Use NVIDIA driver 617.42

S-GAME says it has seen "performance instability" with NVIDIA's 621.01 driver, and that 617.42 currently gives the best experience. If you have a newer driver than 617.42, the developer recommends this:

Roll back to 617.42.
Choose the clean installation option.
Stay on it until NVIDIA releases its next driver, which S-GAME expects soon.

The developer didn't describe the instability in detail, so we can't say which symptoms it causes. Check whether NVIDIA has released a newer driver before you roll back.

2. Install the day-one update

The launch update is about 5 GB on PC and about 2 GB on PS5. According to MP1st, version 1.301.524 improves ray tracing and path tracing performance and includes bug fixes.

Steam Controller: the map button doesn't work

Several Steam players report that the map button doesn't work on the official Steam Controller layout. Two fixes have worked for people, and they use different button names, so try them in this order:

Open the game's controller settings in Steam and edit the layout.
Bind the map action to the View button (some players describe it as View/Back).
If that doesn't work, bind it to the PlayStation trackpad click instead.

One player says that remapping didn't work for them at all, so this may not help on every setup. These are player reports, not an official fix.

Keyboard: the map won't close with the map key

One Reddit player reported that pressing the map key again doesn't close the map menu. That's a single report, and we don't have a confirmed fix yet.

Best settings

These recommendations come from DSOGaming's pre-launch testing with high-end hardware. Your results will depend on your system.

Goal	What to do
Good image without a high-end GPU	Leave ray tracing off. S-GAME says it spent a lot of time on the rasterized look
A little more performance	Drop from Ultra to Very High. DSOGaming saw very little visual difference
More frames	Use DLSS, FSR or XeSS. All three are supported
Better lighting on a strong GPU	Try ray tracing if your GPU can't handle path tracing
Best image on a top-end GPU	Path tracing with DLSS, which turns on Ray Reconstruction
High frame rates	Add frame generation, and turn off Motion Blur to remove most artifacts
Smooth 1440p or 4K	A G-Sync or VRR monitor helps at Ultra

Ray tracing is set from the main menu

DSOGaming found that ray tracing and path tracing can only be changed from the main menu, not during play. If a setting seems to be missing, look there.

Stutter and long first launch

DSOGaming reported a long shader compilation step on first launch, and after that no major shader or traversal stutter. Let it finish before you judge performance. The game also needs an SSD: see the PC requirements.

Can you play on Steam Deck or a handheld?

S-GAME says it tested the game on mid-range and lower-end PCs and on handhelds, and it encourages players to try it. The launch letter also lists support for 16:10 screens. We haven't confirmed an official Steam Deck compatibility rating, so check the game's Steam page before you buy.

Still having problems?

Technical complaints do exist. One Steam thread mentions HDR and audio issues, while replies report good performance, so experiences vary. Include your GPU, driver and game version when you report a problem on the Steam forums, and tell us at our contact page if a fix here is out of date.